


Frequent Fliers

by urusai_lilania



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Counselor Sam Wilson, Crying, Depression, Drinking, Fondue, M/M, Men Crying, Military, Nerdiness, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-04
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-13 18:02:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13576008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urusai_lilania/pseuds/urusai_lilania
Summary: Rhodey gets an unexpected visitor late at night, and it seems Sam just wants to chat. Not long after, Tony appears with a time-honored party favor and agendas change.





	Frequent Fliers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cesia_Dalia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cesia_Dalia/gifts).



> This was a request from a friend, and I finally got around to writing it up! Wish I could have done more with it, but it's been ages since I wrote anything remotely sexual so it took some effort. And if you aren't familiar with me, it's impossible for me to write PWP! ::dies::

Rhodey’s life had taken a turn for the weird in recent years. He still wasn’t sure how to process everything happening around him. But if there was one thing he could count on, it was the never-ending support of his best friend, Tony. The crazy billionaire scientist felt a great deal of responsibility for Rhodey’s injuries, and it took all of Rhodey’s strength just to make sure Tony didn’t do something insane trying to fix him. It was, if one wanted to speak light-heartedly of it, a workplace accident, and Rhodey had nearly died defending a decision they—the Avengers—had made as a group. Sadly, it wasn’t all in agreement, but bridges were being mended. It just took time to heal.

If only Rhodey knew how long it would be before _he_ healed. If ever. He was only human, after all.

His life had become an endless stream of awkward visits from Tony and strenuous rounds of rehabilitation. He was able to stand with difficulty, and, thanks to Tony’s braces, he could (very, _very_ carefully) walk. If there was one thing Rhodey was thankful for, it was that he had, by nature of being in the military, been in decent shape. His muscles were certainly getting a workout these days.

The humble man wasn’t used to being pampered, not by a long shot, but Tony insisted on hiring help to make sure Rhodey’s life wasn’t as difficult as it could be. After the first few uncomfortable days with strangers assisting him, Rhodey supposed it wasn’t so terrible. He exhausted himself so easily just getting by; having someone come around and make sure he was alive and help him with laundry and the like was helpful.

So used was he to Tony’s people stopping by to take care of random assignments Tony had given them, that Rhodey didn’t think twice about there being a knock on the door so late in the evening. If Tony wanted something done, time was irrelevant. With a measured sigh, Rhodey shakily climbed out of his recliner, calling out, “Be a few minutes!”

“Take your time.”

Rhodey froze mid-step; that wasn’t one of Tony’s henchmen. No, it was a much more familiar voice—one that, as far as Rhodey knew, was a fugitive. He hurried his steps to reach his door as best he could. Standing out of the way of the door, he undid the locks and exhaled an enormous, weighted sigh. “Come in, Sam…”

“Thanks.” Swiftly the taller man stepped inside the cozy tiny apartment and gently closed the door behind him, locking it. Rhodey nodded in approval before turning to hobble his way back to the recliner. He was contemplating getting a drink; this felt like a drinking situation.

“Do you want a drink?” he hazarded, gesturing with a nod towards his liquor cabinet. He hadn’t thought he needed one originally, but Tony had furnished the place, so he had one.

Sam chuckled under his breath, following behind Rhodey by a few paces. “Sure. Let me get them.” With a deft move of his hands, he pulled his hoodie, cap, and shades off and set them on the nearby coffee table.

“I’m feeling the brandy, personally,” murmured the host, settling back into his seat. If there was one thing he was thankful for, it was the chair. He’d never known chairs could feel like clouds, but Tony knew all about luxuries. Spared no expense on his friend. Tendrils of pain snaked along his legs as he cautiously stretched them out before him. He was thankful he could feel pain at all. Trying his best not to hiss, Rhodey watched as Sam fixed them each a glass of brandy before offering him a glass and sitting down in the neighboring recliner (Tony’s, of course).

They each took a long sip of the drink before setting their glasses down on the side table between them. Sam leaned forwards to clasp hands with his friend. Rhodey smiled self-consciously at the gesture. “How you holding up?” his guest wondered.

Rhodey wondered how much he could discuss with Sam. What was safe and what wasn’t? Sam was Team Cap after all, as ridiculous as that sounded; they were opposing sides of that fateful argument. Still… Rhodey had been told what had happened, once Tony regained control of his raging emotions. Sam had attempted to save him from his deathfall. Sam was a good guy. They were _all_ good guys, struggling to find their place in the world while trying to protect it… He could trust Sam. “Better, I guess. Tony doesn’t leave me alone, and normally I can hardly ever keep his attention… bit odd. I don’t think I’ve ever held his attention this long.”

Nodding softly, Sam said observationally, “He’s probably dealing with a lot of regret. Deserved or not, that’s tough to work through.”

“Mm. Knowing him, he wants to turn me into a science project,” Rhodey returned with a weak chuckle. “Not that he hasn’t already, but I’m trying my best to keep him from turning me into a robot.”

“You’d make a better robot than his other robots,” Sam laughed. Oh yes; they both knew what sort of history Tony had with robots. It was a rather bleak one, ignoring Dummy.

Clapping his hands together, Rhodey said, “So, I figure it’s not the easiest thing in the world for you to be roaming around New York these days. What are you here for?”

“To talk. It’s what I do,” Sam replied, spreading his arms wide.

Rhodey couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle; the other man was naturally equipped with a likable, friendly, equally serious demeanor, and he had Rhodey’s respect for that. They were both military men, both fliers of a sort. Both regular old, common humans. Both black. Both best friends with ridiculously headstrong people… Hell, they had a lot more in common than any of the other Avengers. There was something special in that, wasn’t there? “Tony tells me you were a counselor in a past life?” he asked, leaning his head to the side. “You must like to help people.”

“I do,” Sam returned, leaning forward in his seat and clasping his hands together over his knees. “But I wanted to talk about something else tonight, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh?” So an agenda, then. Was it from Steve? But the words he heard next threw him off-guard.

“What do you love most about flying?”

Rhodey blinked owlishly, taken aback. “Flying?”

Sam nodded, the smile on his lips warm. “You’re a serviceman, and a damned dedicated one at that. But more than that, you’re a flier.”

“You sneaked into New York to talk to me about _flying_?” Rhodey doubted, nursing his drink. He wasn’t sure what to make of his guest—not yet. All he knew was the man was a friend and ally that had recently been at odds with him and his government. But it seemed awfully odd that flying would be the topic of choice…

“No. I came here to make sure you’re handling yourself well,” Sam admitted, fixing Rhodey with his serious expression. “I’m partly to blame for what happened; we all are. We all owe you a debt. As your friend and team member I want you to know I am here for you. And if there’s something I can do that someone else can’t, I’m here for that. You just have to let me know.”

Something about that hit Rhodey hard. He honestly didn’t think he meant a big deal, not in the long run. He didn’t have the best self esteem, it was true, and being surrounded by so many supers was taxing, to say the least. He was just another suit, with unable to act as freely as the rest of them. Quickly he bit his lip to keep from spitting out anything foolish. Shakily he set his drink back down on the side table and ran a hand over his face. There was a metallic taste in his mouth; had he drawn blood? Why did he feel like crying all of a sudden? “That’s… I…”

“Take it slow. I can wait,” Sam murmured, barely audible.

“Knowing I’ve protected something,” the desperate man answered suddenly, resolutely. He nearly choked on the words, but he had to say them. He had to make someone understand. And if anyone could, it was Sam, right? “You can’t see much, from a cockpit. But from that seat, you can protect anyone, if you try hard enough. It doesn’t matter what happens to me, in the end… so long as I have something to protect. But how can I protect anything like this?”

He was crying now. He could feel the burning trails from the tears. That was it, wasn’t it? He felt useless now. He was the weakest link. All his bravado with Tony was just that—hot air. He’d risk injury again in a heartbeat to protect what he thought was important, but in the end, that was the end. A light pressure graced his knee; with a jolt, Rhodey looked down to see Sam’s hand resting upon his knee in a gesture of comfort. The man remained silent, waiting.

Chuckling through the tears, Rhodey muttered, “That didn’t take long at all. You’re good.” He shook his head and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Why do you fly?”

“So others don’t have to get hurt.” Rhodey blinked; he looked up to see a sorrowful expression on Sam’s face. “It’s terrible, what happened. We were fighting for what we thought was right. We all lost.”

Sniffing, Rhodey wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. “Yeah, we did. But it could have been worse. Much worse.”

“Mm.” Sam glanced about the room in silence for a moment, straightening in his seat and sipping at his brandy. Finally, he said, “This won’t end your fight. You’re with us until the very end.”

Rhodey sank into his recliner, his hands clutching the armrests. “You know what Tony does now? He’s a consultant. Traded his armored suit for a tailored suit. Dude doesn’t even _like_ suits. Always been a tee shirt and skinny jeans kind of guy.”

“Technically, he’s been a consultant for a while now, even if he never dressed the part,” Sam remarked. “According to Cap, anyway.”

Twisting his lips, Rhodey nodded. “Yeah. He’d know. They were in this Avengers business long before the rest of us…”

With a sudden grin, Sam shifted in his seat and asked, “So. You’re the man behind War Machine. Tell me about it.”

Sam’s conversation tactics were a little hard for Rhodey to follow, at least, the more positive ones were. Rhodey was trained to keep information to himself, only revealing the answers to a higher authority. But this was allowed, wasn’t it? This wasn’t about the government or its secrets. This was a comrade. “What do you mean?”

Flourishing his hand, Sam elaborated. “What drew you to taking it on? Did Tony make it for you?”

Rhodey’s tears were quickly forgotten behind fond memories of times nearly forgotten amongst the flood of strange new memories. “Tony was pulling some stupid stunts in his suit back then when Obadiah betrayed him, and he had another prototype sitting in his lab… watching him, it just looked amazing. Like the next step from jets, you know? I was jealous! But he’s always sort of carried me along in his wake, so I figured even if it took some arguing I could take it for a spin one day, try it on, maybe give him some advice. Of the two of us, I obviously had more experience behind the cockpit in high-risk situations. But then he started misbehaving with the suit when he began to spiral out of control, and the government was laying a claim on the technology, and everything began to spiral further and further… He was drunk at a party, risking serious injury to everyone there, and there was finally another suit at the ready. So I put it on to knock some sense into him. Wasn’t really thinking; I just knew that in order to stop him I needed a little more force behind my fist. It was… awkward, and I probably handled the situation poorly, but then again, I might’ve also saved him some heartache by interfering the way I did.”

Sam listened intently, staring into Rhodey’s eyes. The way he talked about Tony was as a concerned older brother. Sam knew how the military worked; Tony had upset them greatly when he changed Stark Industries’ stance, and then to withhold the suits, his greatest creation… it must have put a great strain on Rhodey, being the official liaison _and_ best friend at the same time. “It definitely hasn’t hurt your friendship. You seem to have juggled your responsibility pretty well.”

“ _Man_ , I’m glad somebody’s noticed!” Rhodey laughed. It was a genuine sort of laugh, one he didn’t always have the freedom to release. There was still stress built up in his chest, weighing him down, but it was nice to have a fellow soldier to chat with, someone who was interested in him and his suit that wasn’t Tony. Not to be down on Tony, it was just… Sometimes, Rhodey needed someone else to acknowledge him in all his awkward ways. “You know, Tony is always improving on his tech, but the upgrades to War Machine have to be approved by the higher ups… but you know Tony. Sometimes he shows up and rolls them out without really explaining everything he’s put in and I end up having to file the reports later. Particularly things he deems safety related, the last few times. I imagine he’s put in more work behind my back now, with everything how it’s been. But, still, it’s been great, you know? A real dream. I can see why Tony ended up so crazy about the armors. The suit moves with me. Your getup is probably a lot less… _bulky_ , but it still feels amazing. Like a glove. And it’s an immediate response; it has to be. When the system was blown out and I fell… Well, it was just like being a stone dropped from space. Heavy, silent, dark…” He shuddered. Tony had gone through the same thing, once upon a time, only… Rhodey had fallen due to friendly fire. Tony had fallen due to travelling into space through a wormhole saving the New York from a missile. …He also hadn’t hit the ground; someone was there to catch him. Banner… Tony’s other, newer, elusive best friend.

Sam surely sensed the mood dipping again, because he shifted and asked, “Tony had JARVIS and swapped out to FRIDAY after Ultron. Do you have one of his intelligence programs to help handle the in-board data?”

Jolted from his thoughts, Rhodey shook his head. “Nope; at first it was because I took it before he had finished it, but even after some modifications over the years, we’ve left it out. I do have a systems communication relay with the base, though. I imagine it’d be a little less complicated for me now, with the suit _and_ me being under the government’s approval for deployment.”

“Well, you always were under a stricter level of command than the rest of us,” Sam admitted, the corner of his lips tugging slightly.

“Yeah… still… I should’ve been in on the Hydra take-down…” murmured Rhodey, his wide eyes connecting with Sam’s. They were watery. “That was critical mission of importance to our country. To the world.”

“We didn’t know if your suit could be infiltrated again. And what position it would put you in,” Sam insisted. “I sort of got pulled in by necessity in the heat of the moment.”

“The way I hear it, you handed in a resumé,” Rhodey chuckled.

Extending his hands at his sides, Sam smiled. “It was the best way to continue serving my country.”

“Still, I wish I was there.”

“I wonder sometimes, if everyone was involved back then, what would have happened with Buck… but with Hydra being involved, it might have turned even uglier. I mean, it was their leftovers that started the whole mess later on, you know?”

“Mm. Missions don’t usually go smoothly, hopes and prayers be damned.” Before either male could continue the discussion, both fumbling to keep it in lighter waters, Rhodey’s phone rang from deep within his pants pocket. His face screwed up at the intrusion, the familiar ring tone that he hadn’t set himself… Answering the call and resting the small phone against the shell of his ear, he sighed and asked, “What’s up, Tony?” Casting a glance to Sam, he rolled his eyes, eliciting a grin from his guest.

“Just wondering what you’re up to, _buuuddy_.”

Yup, drinking again. Rhodey could only hope Pepper calling it quits with Tony would not send his friend devolving back into his old self, but he was straddling that line a little dangerously—otherwise known as, being Tony as per usual. “Visiting with company,” he finally replied.

“Company, eh? Maybe a little… hummingbird, maybe? Eh?”

“…You installed the cameras, didn’t you.”

“Yup.”

“Delete the footage then,” Rhodey insisted, pinching his nose between his fingers.

“Bit late for gentleman callers, you know. You should have invited me! I’m all for that dark chocolate love.”

“Tony.”

“I can be the marshmallow to your s’more! Ooh! Or an ice cream sandwich. Mmm…”

“ _Tony_. Delete the footage. Get something to eat. We’ll talk about the cameras later. Later.” Not waiting for his friend’s response, Rhodey hung up.

“He’s a character,” Sam observed. “Appreciate clearing the evidence, though.”

“Yeah.”

“I really admire you, you know.”

Well, that came out of left field. Blinking, Rhodey set his cell phone down and leaned forwards in his seat. “What do you mean?”

“If any of us little guys can be called honorable, it’s you.”

Rhodey felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment. “I just do what needs to be done.”

“Sure, but you do it with a much clearer moral code than most of us.”

“I’m sure Rogers is a better candidate for your admiration than me,” insisted Rhodey, flustered.

“He’s sort of like admiring a star, though. Some days he just feels way beyond me. I feel like I can relate to you on a really attainable level, you know?” Sam said softly, eyeing his modest host with a curious stare. “You make me think twice about what I’m about to do, the reasons why I’m about to do it. I don’t mean you change my decisions, but you make me think.”

Rhodey couldn’t help but squirm a bit under that weighted gaze. He grappled with his empty brandy glass for a moment, desperately hoping for a distraction.

The doorbell chimed overhead. Blinking, Rhodey nearly dropped his glass to the floor; fumbling, he caught it, set it aside, and looked to the door. “Oh no…”

“What is it?” Sam asked, glancing over his shoulder towards the entrance of the apartment. When Rhodey went to stand, Sam held up a hand. “I’ve got it, don’t worry.” Climbing to his feet, Sam cautiously tip-toed towards the door, looking out the spyhole.

A magnified, chocolate-colored eye was staring back at him. “Did I miss out?” the intruder called, grinning broadly.

Sam opened the door to reveal none other than Tony Stark, slightly inebriated. “What’s that you got there?” Sam asked, eyeing the box beneath Tony’s arm.

Blinking wildly, Tony glanced around the hall before looking beneath his arm as if he were totally at a loss at what he had carried with him. “Fondue!” he finally declared, smacking the large box with his free hand.

“Oh god…” Rhodey groaned, slapping his forehead from where he sat in the living room.

“ _Yeaaah_ , I’ve heard stories about you and your fondue…” Sam said warily, eyeing the drunken scientist. “You carry that around with you just in case?” The box displayed a fancy set, one that was quite aged.

“Oh, I ran back to the car to get it. Always have it handy! The actual food’s here already, no worries. I don’t eat old food from my trunk. … _Usually_.” Walking in around Sam, Tony began unpacking his box atop Rhodey’s kitchen table. “You know, Rhodey is _super_ awkward, right? So if you want to hit on him, you gotta take initiative. You should’ve seen him in college! Biggest dork around. Made _me_ look hella good!”

Rhodey hissed. “Tony, you—”

“—Make _myself_ look hella good? Thanks!”

Closing his eyes and sighing, Rhodey tried again. “I was going to say that you came over without warning, _again_ …”

“You said to call in advance. I did!”

“You called while you were _at the door_.”

“I didn’t let myself in first! Counts!” Tony insisted, jingling his keys before dropping them atop the table.

Sam couldn’t help but laugh at the warring friends, despite being wary of Tony’s sudden intrusion. “You’re not going to phone me in, are you?” he asked once the conversation fell into a lull.

“I’ve done worse,” Tony said conversationally, before turning and adding, “And no, I won’t phone you in. We’re going to have a fondue party together, why would I phone you in?”

Rhodey rolled his eyes and sighed. “…Because he’s a wanted fugitive, Tony, and it’s _your job_ to phone it in.” He winced when Sam cast his wary glance in his direction.

“…See, _this_ is why we never have nice things, Rhodey. Sometimes you have to live a little dangerously.”

“I was living dangerously enough before you invaded,” Rhodey muttered under his breath, blushing as Sam laughed and clapped a hand onto his shoulder amicably. “Sorry,” he murmured to his guest. “He just… does this. A _lot_.”

“It’s okay. He cares. I think,” Sam said with a warm laugh. Tony did have the worst possible timing, but he didn’t seem as though he wanted to interrupt, at the same time? Not if the fondue was an indicator of anything… He never knew Steve to lie, after all, and he had quite a few strange fondue stories over the years regarding the Starks.

“I _do_ care! Thank you, Sam! And _because_ I care, I need to know, what are your intentions with my dear sweet baby child Rhodey? Because if they’re anything other than indecent, I will be _most_ disappointed with you! I flew you out here for a _reason_!”

“Tony!” Rhodey growled, his blush spreading.

“I say it like I sees it,” Tony said with a shrug. “C’mon, we gotta fondue before we make it official.”

“You seem in a rush…” Sam observed, helping Rhodey to his feet. Rhodey gestured that he was fine, and together they walked to the kitchen table.

“No, no rush,” Tony confessed. “Just excited. This is a big day for dear ol’ Rhodes.”

Rhodey waved a hand before his face. “Break out the fondue already, Tony.”

Tony didn’t need permission to search the kitchen for his fondue supplies, but he grinned and complied. There was quite a bit of treats littered about on the small kitchen table by the time he was done, and then the trio had a light treat of fondue. He had prepared marshmallows and caramels and Biscotti for the snacks, with dark chocolate. He had quite the sweet tooth, it seemed, as he snacked liberally. Sam noticed that Tony had ceased his drinking once they started; in honor of this, he neglected to refill his and Rhodey’s drinks.

Rhodey and Sam sampled the tasty snacks and began a new, convoluted conversation with Tony. “You know, I’m glad you came to me about Rhodey, but I’m even more glad I was able to convince you to come see for yourself!”

“You guys talked about me?” Rhodey demanded, shocked. He looked from Tony’s sly grin to Sam’s thoughtful smile (and conspicuous lack of denial) and asked, “Why?”

“You matter,” Sam said matter-of-factly. “This matters. We can’t forget each other despite the distances we’ve crossed. And it shouldn’t always be in the heat of battle that we rely on one another.”

“I’ve gotta admit, it was fun playing interceptor!” Tony said loudly, preparing himself another marshmallow-and-Biscotti sandwich. “Or interloper. Whatever you prefer. Gotta say, I was surprised when you snatched up the offer for a flight over! You’re more forward than I expected!”

Seeing the look of confusion on Rhodey’s face, Sam filled in the gaps. “I didn’t know if contacting you was safe, but Cap made a communication line with Tony. I asked after you anytime he’d connect with Tony, so Cap said I should just make the call myself. Wasn’t exactly comfortable at first, but it sounded like I was amusing Tony enough to let me keep calling and asking. He offered a flight in yesterday, so I agreed and he booked it up immediately.”

Rhodey gawked slightly, looking between the two men before him. It sounded outrageous, but they were telling the same story. He and Sam had gotten along well at the parties that the Avengers held, the gatherings… but he hadn’t expected to have left any sort of impression on him. “Sam’s a good guy,” Tony admitted, a twisted smirk on his lips. “He’s been counseling me through some things for a while now. So maybe I’ve been calling asking after him too…”

“Counseling? _You_?” Rhodey barked, genuinely surprised. “You’ve got the patience of a saint!” he added, looking to Sam.

Tony blushed a bit; Rhodey couldn’t tell if it was the alcohol or the fact that his friend was actually embarrassed to be asking for help finally. He had plenty of _need_ , certainly… Just as much, if not more, than Rhodey. There was much in Tony’s life that had nearly ruined him (and occasionally had done just that). It was a relief to know that Sam was assisting him. Sam would take the matter seriously and handle it with the care it needed, right? “Well, now that we’ve fondue’d, it’s time to fondue!” Tony laughed brightly, waggling his eyebrows.

“I had a feeling you were going to go there,” Sam said, rolling his eyes as well, his smile still bright and welcoming.

With a cheerful grimace, Rhodey shook his head. “Oh, he _always_ goes there. Why you think he’s stashed half his stuff here?”

“Gotta thank Steve and that ever-naïve, blonde brain of his!” Tony barked. It was true; the entire “joke” of fondue was at their mutual friend’s expense, but for the Starks, it had stuck. Decades and a generation later, it was still running strong.

Sam thumbed his nose and smirked. “Yeah, well, he’s come to appreciate that fondue kit of yours. That the same one your old man used?”

“Handed down through the ages, bringing people closer together!” declared the mad scientist, giving the box a gentle tap. “Some things just aren’t made the same nowadays, you know?”

“Like my legs,” Rhodey reminded his friend pointedly.

“So we’ll be gentle, my big snuggly Platypus! We’ll be gentle, right, Hummingbird?”

Quirking his eyebrow at the nickname, Sam nodded. “Of course. I’m as gentle as a kitten.”

“And as territorial as a German Shepard, I hear,” Tony muttered, dancing his way out of the kitchen. “Come, my friends! To the grand kingdom of joy!”

“Do you understand what he’s trying to do?” Rhodey asked fitfully, glancing to Sam.

Sam shook his head in disbelief but laughed warmly. “I don’t see a problem, I guess. I mean, it’s true I’m interested. And considering the work he put in to getting me here, I doubt he’s going to let me alone with you now.”

“Rhodey’s bed is big enough; I made sure of that!” Tony declared loudly from the hall. “He likes to roll around in his sleep!”

“Are you sure it wasn’t just because you’re used to _your_ bed being so big…?” Rhodey grumbled good-naturedly as he worked his way down the hall. The blush wouldn’t leave his neck. Sam was interested? It was true, they were friends, and most of them didn’t have time to find romance outside of their inner circle. So there were flings here and there, when they weren’t busy saving the world from total extinction. Who else could they trust? Who could they trust _not to get hurt_? Well, Rhodey was already hurt. Did that make him even safer? Well, whatever the case, he considered Sam safe. Sam _cared_ —about _all_ of them. Rhodey could feel that radiating from his fellow frequent flier more than anyone else.

They weren’t kidding; Rhodey’s bed took up the majority of his bedroom, with the far wall dedicated to a mirror and wardrobe. Sam wanted to help Rhodey climb onto his bed, but he knew Rhodey was stubborn and desperately wanted to be fully independent. If Tony could keep from smothering his best friend, so could he. Rhodey’s struggle was short; he was becoming accustomed to the motion now. What he _wasn’t_ the best at was removing and putting on the leg braces; they were a brand new model, and were overhauled pretty dramatically compared to the last set. Motioning for his friends to assist him, Rhodey cautiously put his legs apart so the men could get to work. Sam mimicked Tony’s careful movements. It didn’t take much; the majority of the braces were automatic. The front of them unlocked and slid aside to allow Rhodey to drop them from his legs. Sam handed the right leg’s brace to Tony and their inventor set them aside almost reverently.

“Those are some fancy braces,” Sam murmured, shaking his head. They were robotic, as Rhodey had said earlier; Tony put his heart into creating them. It showed. Rhodey shifted about where he sat on the bed, giving his legs slight stretches for practice. Crouching before the nervous man, Sam cast a small glance to Tony, who gave a little shrug and grinned.

Sam smiled and straightened up a bit, reaching out with a hand and running his fingers across Rhodey’s dark hair. “What’s easiest for you?”

“A-ah… Well, I’m not sure…” Rhodey stammered thoughtfully. “This is… a bit more than _I’m_ used to.”

“Can’t say I expected a third party, either,” Sam admitted, casting another glance to Tony.

“Allow me to make a suggestion?” Tony asked, pointing a finger in the air. “Act like I’m not here. I’ll make my way in when I’m ready.” To further his suggestion, Tony stood up and took up station against the bedroom door, leaning more heavily against the solid frame. With a brilliant flash of teeth, he gave the pair a thumbs up.

“…He do this sort of thing often?” Sam wondered, cocking an eyebrow.

“I suspect he would if I brought people home more often,” Rhodey muttered.

“Consider this my gift to you both!” the mechanic declared, extending his hands before him.

“You’re going to watch.”

“I’m going to watch. For _now_!” Tony cheered with a laugh. “Do I need to get you guys anything?”

“I’d say some privacy, but this will do,” Sam remarked with a chuckle. His hand had passed from the crown of Rhodey’s head to the nape of his neck, cupping it. Gently he dragged himself towards the injured Avenger, pressing their lips together. Rhodey blinked in surprise, casting a final glance to Tony, who simply grinned and threw him another thumbs up.

Sam was gentle, but firm. Very different from Tony. With deft fingers, he flicked opened Rhodey’s button-up shirt, and Rhodey shrugged free of it. Sam’s tee shirt quickly fled the scene, and then Sam hooked an arm around Rhodey’s waist and hoisted him farther up the bed, twisting him so that he could lie down. The remainder of their clothes were dragged away from their bodies in a quiet fervor. Sam continued to kiss at Rhodey’s darker skin, nipping here and there, ever-so-slightly. Rhodey reciprocated, running his hands across Sam’s chest. His muscles were well-developed; he knew from dossiers that Sam liked to work out to relieve stress. The results were easily appreciated.

There was a great deal different in dealing with Tony and Sam. Sam was, for starters, much more into foreplay. Tony had been picking up slack lately, attempting to learn, but Sam didn’t even need to have it suggested to him. His mouth and hands were constantly on the move, sucking here, kneading there. Somehow he managed to give special attention to every spot equally. Sam’s hands fluttered across bare skin, gracing nipples, neck muscles, the curve of his hips… Rhodey couldn’t help but moan; his body, despite the trauma it had endured recently, was fairly sensitive to any sort of intimate handling. It wasn’t until Sam began stroking him that it caught up with Rhodey what they were doing. “Sorry. For being one-sided,” he murmured, twisting around in Sam’s arms. “I sort of spaced out there.”

“Mm, it’s all good. I don’t mind,” Sam breathed, smiling. Rhodey flexed his fingers experimentally, making sure they worked properly before letting them trail along Sam’s torso to his groin. He found Sam to be excited, responding to his touch instantly. His breath hitched in his throat as Sam continued his ministrations once more. They were both erect, both pleading bodily for the attention to continue. Rhodey ran his fingers across Sam’s abdomen and marvelled at its tonedness before reaching down and firmly taking hold of the man’s penis. He stroked, up and down, down and up, slowly, rhythmically, trying to will his nervousness away. Tony had told tales of his forays with the other Avengers, but Rhodey had only had relations with Tony. It wasn’t just a matter of popularity—he was rather awkward, and Tony made sure he knew it. Frustrated at the thought, Rhodey shifted forward atop the sheets and kissed Sam roughly, his tongue passing the barrier of lips and teeth unharmed. It met with Sam’s own muscle, and they entangled themselves in a struggle. Sam was surprisingly not as dominant as Rhodey had anticipated, allowing him to take the lead with the kiss. Their saliva mingled together, burning Rhodey’s throat. Foreign invader. A new taste, brandy and milk chocolate mixed with something unfamiliar… Sam’s free hand reached up and around Rhodey’s skull, cradling it, drawing them closer together. Their breathing was picking up, Rhodey realized. Hot, sticky breath in each others’ faces.

As Rhodey continued to stroke Sam’s length, he ended the kiss, opting to nibble away at Sam’s lower lip. It elicited a heady moan from him and he pulled back slightly, his fingers tightening their hold on Rhodey’s head for just a moment. Then he lessened his grip once more, almost apologetically. He was as soft as a feather in his handling, almost maddeningly so. Rhodey was far from used to it. He squirmed fitfully in the bed at each shudder that coursed through him. Finally, he broke away from Sam’s face and stared at him in wonder. “You okay?” Sam asked breathily, frowning slightly.

“I… I’m fine…”

“He’s not used to someone who knows how to play so damn nice!” Tony declared from his position against the door frame. “Gotta say, you must be pretty popular with caressing hands like those.”

Sam glanced up at the chuckling, raven-haired billionaire. “You always loom like that?”

“Well, I was waiting for a formal invitation,” returned Tony. “It’s not quite the same as jumping into a swimming pool, you know? Have to time it right!”

“Tony, just get your ass over here and do what you want,” Rhodey groaned, giving Sam a glance. The other still didn’t seem to mind.

“You sure you can share?” he asked. Rhodey wasn’t certain it was a joke.

Tony practically leapt out of his clothes, flinging them willy-nilly about the bedroom. He was always such an excited mess, Rhodey mused fondly. Motioning for Sam to shift, the pair scooted across the enormous bed to allow for Tony to jump in on Rhodey’s other side, leaving him in the middle. Tony nuzzled his friend’s chest happily before asking, “You wanna take command and I have a little fun manhandling the crank?”

Sam kissed at the curve of Rhodey’s collarbone. “That fine with you? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“If my legs can handle Tony’s roughhousing, I should be fine with you,” Rhodey breathed, cheeks flushing. This was still so strange. Nodding, Sam shifted so that he was laying on his side and rested his hands upon Rhodey’s hips. The flushing turned to a full on blush and spread down his neck. There was no turning back now. They were all consenting adults. It was just strange, to be a part of this secretive world now. It felt like it was something that should only remain in Tony’s odd tales of after-parties thrown in far corners of the world. Not in Rhodey’s tiny apartment in New York.

One of Tony’s hands was fondling Rhodey’s jawline while the other teasingly ghosted over his penis, mimicking in Sam’s motions in a more torturous manner. The aggressive male leaned in and kissed his best friend forcefully, gnashing teeth together. Rhodey was never sure why women continued to flock at Tony’s bedside after having spent the night with the billionaire; he was hardly a romantic lover. But then again, Rhodey continued right on with it as well, didn’t he? He swallowed thickly as Tony’s deft, calloused hand slipped down and began fondling his scrotum. Tony had always been good with his hands, no matter what complaints Rhodey had. Despite the life of luxury the Stark heir lived (most days), Tony had mechanic’s hands. He preferred them that way, too. They were far from smooth, but they were skilled at intricate work. Rhodey had grown up used to Tony’s hands _and_ his handsy nature, as well as, well, everything else that came with being close to Tony. There was something familiar and warming when those hands gripped him, fondled him, manipulated him. Just as Rhodey began to sink into the realm of the familiar, he was given a sudden jolt. Sam was pressuring his anus with a finger, then another. Closing his eyes, Rhodey tried to still his jumpy heart and relax. It must have worked, because Sam’s fingers slid in and began moving, loosening him slowly, gently. Having seen both men naked now, Rhodey knew it wouldn’t prove problematic for Sam to fuck him. It shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Tony, after all, was a playful nut with all sorts of shiny toys, in and out of bed. Rhodey had been the victim of several.

Sam slid his girth into Rhodey with a bit of effort, sending a quiver up his spine. Tony acknowledged the motion and slid down the bed a bit, startling Rhodey. What was he doing? Coiling himself near the men’s lower halves, Tony locked his lips around Rhodey’s shaft, one hand still kneading his balls, with the other now paying his own penis the attention it wanted. The game had begun. Tony was less assertive than usual, waiting for Sam’s leading motions to make his own so that a rhythm could be established amongst the threesome. Sam rocked into Rhodey in a gentle but sure thrust, one hand hooked upon his partner’s hip, the other’s fingers clutching at his chest. His mouth found Rhodey’s neck once more, sucking and nibbling at the exposed flesh with more vigor than before. With each thrust, Tony allowed Rhodey to engulf his mouth, taking him far back, sucking and slithering his tongue along his length. The effect of both men’s ministrations were maddening for Rhodey. This was a sort of attention he was unused to, from either man. It was a serious affair, gentle and forceful all at once, sending his nerves screaming as he climaxed. Sam followed shortly after, and Tony, being Tony, had left himself a little ways to go. Rhodey helped him finish, making a mess of the sheets.

“Well, that was fun,” Tony panted, wiping his forehead with the bank of his hand. “That was fun, right? Lots of fun. Could have more fun though. I’ve got a few ideas.”

Instead of acknowledging Tony’s rambling, Sam helped Rhodey sit up against the headboard of his bed. “Any pains?” he asked, still concerned. He couldn’t help himself; Rhodey had barely survived his injuries—it wasn’t something to take lightly.

Licking his lips, the injured teammate thought for a moment. “Not… not any more than usual. Not that this was usual or anything. But… well, you get the idea.”

“I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready for the jacuzzi! And cheese nips!”

“That’s at your place, Tony,” Rhodey groaned, rolling his eyes.

“What, you guys don’t want to have a sleep-over?” Tony demanded, batting his thick eyelashes wildly at the pair.

“Aren’t all your cars two-seaters anyway?” Sam asked suspiciously. He didn’t have a flight booked, not yet. It took more than one short visit to counsel properly. And it was clear he had more than one person to counsel on this trip…

Beaming brightly, Tony declared enthusiastically, “I’ll fly, you drive!”

“Right…” Sam murmured, glancing away. Tony and his flashy cars… had Sam ever driven anything _remotely_ as expensive? Well, if one counted his _suit_ … yes. The EXO-7 had quite the price-tag attached to it. Not that Tony hadn’t tinkered with it and upped the value of the tech tenfold.

“If you were interested in staying a little longer, I wouldn’t mind the drive,” Rhodey admitted, flushing.

Sam chuckled and allowed his eyes to return to his friend. “Well, that’s that then. Suit up and we’ll stew a bit. Cheese nips?” he added, redirecting the last bit at Tony.

With a smirk, the other simply said, “I’ve got nuts and berries if you prefer that. Never-ending supply.”

“You snack an awful lot for someone that wears a metal suit to work,” Sam commented wryly.

“Not metal anymore,” Tony muttered self-consciously.

“Can you even wear it anymore without an incident report?” Sam asked, careful to keep his voice as genial as possible. He was genuinely concerned for Tony. He was terribly attached to life inside the Iron Man armor—dangerously so, in fact.

“So long as there’s no reports popping up of me being a vigilante, I can test run my prototypes,” the inventor admitted with a bodily shrug. “So just about everything is a prototype now. Speaking of—”

“ _Do not_ summon your suit inside my apartment, Tony! Last time the maids reported the mess to management and they filed a domestic case!”

“I remember! That was great, really. I love my little wifey,” Tony laughed. “Just because I make a mess of the joint doesn’t mean I’d ever lay a finger on you!”

“You just laid more than a finger on me.”

“Fine, fine. Spoilsport. I’ll do it outside…”

Rhodey carefully dressed himself and climbed into his braces, on his own. The other men could hover like nannies all they wanted, but he knew he needed to strive to do these things on his own if he ever wanted to be an active member of the team again. Because surely they were all still a team, no matter the fractures that existed. The Avengers were a family, and a little fucked up just like any other family. Sometimes it led to civil war, sometimes it led to fondue, but in the end, they were still able to rely on one another to be there. He was still War Machine, even if the military had attempted to replace him as the armor’s pilot. They couldn’t replace him, in the end. Not without jumping all the hoops that Tony had put in place with the Sokovia Accords—and the suit itself.

With a smile, Rhodey stood. “Should I get my trunks?”

With a queer light in his eye, Tony barked out a laugh. “Why?”

Sam tied up his shoes and threw his own two cents in. “I don’t have any with me.”

“See? Do you wanna leave Sam alone in the no-pants zone, Rhodey?”

“No, I guess not.”

“To the pantsless hot tub!” Tony declared, running through the apartment. His fondue box sat there, a witness to only a fraction of his dirty deeds. He’d be back. They’d all be back.

There would always be fondue.

**Author's Note:**

> Interested in checking out my original writing or spying on my two furbabbies antics? You can find us [here](http://nikkitapierrottie.com/)!


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